Although our newest division officially launches July 1, it’s being built on a long history of innovation and success. The Division of Population Health is a merger of two existing divisions, the Division of Health Services and Psychiatric Epidemiology – founded by Wayne Katon in the late 1980s and the the Division of Integrated Care and Public Health. The mission of the new division is to improve behavioral health services across the entire health care delivery system, from primary care to behavioral health homes to emergency rooms. Researchers will investigate where behavioral health services are needed, examine the quality of behavioral health services currently available, and test and implement novel approaches to close the gaps between the two.

The division will be structured around three areas, mirroring the tripartite mission of the Department: Research and Evaluation, headed by John Fortney; Training and Translation, headed by Anna Ratzliff; and Clinical Consultation, headed by Marc Avery. It will support both the T32 Primary Care Psychiatry Fellowship and the T32 Geriatric Mental Health Services Fellowship, as well as the publication of General Hospital Psychiatry. Jürgen Unützer will serve as Director.